The future of Sergio Perez with Red Bull remains uncertain as the 2023 season concludes, despite finishing as the runner-up. The Mexican driver is determined to prove his critics wrong and has set his sights on challenging teammate Max Verstappen’s F1 dominance, even though questions loom over his own continued presence at Red Bull.
Perez, also known as ‘Checo,’ secured second place on the 2023 leaderboard but faced a challenging end to the season, leading to speculation about a potential replacement. Despite concerns raised by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, the 33-year-old Perez is focused on disrupting Verstappen’s three consecutive world championships.
In response to Sky Sports’ inquiry about his aspirations for the 2024 championship, Perez stated, “That’s the main target. I already finished second, and my main interest is to do one better. I’m aware of the challenge it is. We are going to take this winter time to try to start the season on a high and be able to maintain that level of consistency throughout the season.”
Acknowledging the need for improvement, the six-time Grand Prix winner, whose contract extends until the end of next year, highlighted the importance of better pace and a more consistent season. Perez admitted, “I think we need better pace and a very consistent season. I think we went through a bit of a rollercoaster this year.”
Looking ahead to the future, Horner mentioned that “everything is open” when Perez’s contract concludes at the end of 2024. Addressing rumors about Daniel Ricciardo potentially returning to Red Bull, Horner emphasized the team’s desire for a competitive pairing and praised the successful partnership of Max and Checo. While keeping options open for 2025 and beyond, Horner acknowledged the benefit of having both internal and external choices for the team.